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MidSummer 2019 Meta

We’re on the downward side of summer, so it’s time for some time on the couch, more meta-analysis of the blog and what’s happening, including our new directions. The last meta-post was fun to reflect on where we were with the blog and consider where we could go.

First, July was our best month in a long time, with 578 hits. It’s a huge turnaround from the non-posting June slump, and our third best month in our history. The blog turns one year old near the end of the month, so expect a little hoopla at that point. Our biggest July hits were the two winemaker interview posts, and I’m really thrilled with that. Arterra’s Jason Murray leads with 36 hits, and Walsh’s Nate Walsh is close behind with 27 hits. I think these interviews are some of my best writing and set a really cool next direction for the blog. I’ve been reaching out to other winemakers about getting some facetime to grill them about wine, and I’m hoping to share some more interviews soon.

We’re up to 4,407 total views on the site too, and that is exciting too. I’m hopeful that we’ll keep growing the readership with the different kinds of posts.

Another new direction on the docket is the book club. The paying job has ramped up, so I’m not keeping up with the book club, but I plan to put some more energy into it and get it up to speed. Installment One and Installment Two have been posted, but they haven’t seemed to be as popular as I’d hoped, so I’m hopeful we can figure out how to make it something folks join and share thoughts on. If you have thoughts on ways to make the book club more fun and more interactive, please share them in the comments section. Or if you think it’s just a silly idea, share that too. There are a lot of books about wine out there, and it may be fun for us to read them together and share our thoughts.

There will be more posting about wine news, because there is a lot of wine news happening. Virginia winemaker groups are talking about climate change and how that will impact what we plant and how we grow it. Wineries are experimenting with lots of grapes we’re not familiar with that may be more appropriate for our climate and soil, and that gives us a lot of options we’ll be writing about. A few things are shaping up on the home front with the advent of beloved son moving out in December (and maybe sooner depending on how things roll with scheduling boot camp) – husband and I may be doing some traveling – there is a France trip looming for next year, and a getaway to Northern California or Oregon may come sooner rather than later. Hopefully these things will work out and I’ll be able to share some exciting wine thoughts about those areas with you.

I have an ask, beloved readers – do you have a winemaker that you feel I should interview, from whom you are dying to hear about their craft and philosophy? Do you have connections to a winemaker or vineyard manager that I can approach about interview? Unfortunately we are entering the end of the growing season, and as we approach harvest, their lives get really busy and they just aren’t available. I had one winemaker respond that he really won’t be able to meet with me until late November at the earliest! I certainly respect that, and I don’t want to take them away from their craft. Anyway, watch for the next installments of those coming up soon.

Finally, I was offered a guest blogger spot at Virginia Wine Market. They’re working on a re-post of a previous post about a winery visit, and perhaps that will turn into a regular gig. Is there a market for wine thoughts from an uneducated, uninitiated, untrained wine lover? We shall see.

As always, I welcome your feedback on the blog. I really want this to be responsive to reader interest. It’s been a while since we’ve been to a new winery, but I think Wine Friend 1 and I will correct that in the next few weeks – it’s time to try something new.

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